Kaseys Korner

A Treacherous Curse

So I actually backtracked to read the 3rd installment of this series after skipping ahead to read the 4th book. I wouldn't say it was a mistake because they can stand alone but oh my, so much personal history was revealed in this one!

We get to "meet" Stokers ex-wife and find out the story behind their marriage and subsequent divorce. That was every bit as interesting to me as the mystery at hand.

More sparkling dialogue, more intrigue and at last, the teensiest acknowledgement from Veronica's father!!! These books are pretty dreamy literature and have given me countless hours of joy during our summer at home.

A Dangerous Collaboration

Soooo I'm just a tad obsessed with Veronica Speedwell! Can you tell?!?! haha

I couldn't stand that the 3rd book wasn't available to download so I skipped ahead to the 4th & devoured it in almost one sitting. They're "sort of" stand alone books (in that the mysteries in each one are unique to that book) so I hope I didn't miss anything too important by doing that?? The one thing I can't wait to go back & discover in Book 3 is what happened between Veronica & Caroline de Morgan (Stokers ex`wife) That must have been explosive! Who the heck would ever leave Stoker??? I mean, that tells me everything necessary about the woman!! haha

Romantics will be thrilled with 'A Dangerous Collaboration' because of the development in Veronica & Stokers relationship. Yaaass!!! If a man says this about you, things are gonna change:

Stoker’s smile was slow and terrible. “You think that is love, brother? That I should kill for her?” He shook his head, his eyes locked with mine. “You are the fool, Tiberius, because you still do not understand. I do not love her enough to kill for her.” He stepped to the edge of the rock. “I love her enough to die for her.”

As much as I adore the dynamics between Veronica & Stoker, I did enjoy getting to know Tiberius better. The Viscount could have a series of his own! The castle setting in this 4th book was also fabulous. What beats an ancient castle for the setting of a mystery?? It was instant atmosphere and came complete with "poison" garden, priest holes, and secret passageways! *sigh*

Thanks to Deanna Raybourn and this series, my summer has taken a decided turn for the better! If I have to be stuck at home because of Covid19, I'm glad there's Veronica Speedwell to the rescue.

 

 

What Lies Between Us

I had to sit with this one for a few days after finishing it. It was so disturbing and twisted it actually gave me a sick feeling just reading it. If I had to describe the book in one sentence I'd say "it's a psychological thriller & case study in how NOT to handle a person with mental illness." I think that wraps it up fairly succinctly.

A disclaimer before going any further : I may not be the best person to review this book. Stories like this scare me because the line between the authors imagination and real life get murky to me. I can actually see a similar situation potentially happening in real life. Hence the 3 star rating when the book very likely deserves more.

I vacillated throughout reading between feeling sorry for Maggie (the Mom) and then Nina (the daughter) although in the end, it was the mother that paid the steepest price. That was all too real for me as well because of how parents shield or deny issues with their children. All because they love them & think they're protecting them, as Maggie constantly confessed to doing with Nina but it boomeranged on her hard, didn't it?

The book was also so realistic in showing how people with mental health issues appear to be functioning normally in life but underneath a sinister, cunning side is shadowing & driving their thoughts and movements. I must be getting better at guessing the whodunnit's in these mysteries because I figured out early on what happened to Nina's father. Let me just say it didn't make me feel better to be proven right! and poor Dylan. I knew it wasn't going to end well for him ~ I wanted to jump into the story & tell him to run! If I felt sorry for any of the characters, it was him.

If the thriller genre is a book category of interest, this book will fulfill & most likely surpass all your darkest expectations. Settle in, let it transfix you then pray like hell that mental health continues shedding the stigma its held all these years so books like 'What Lies Between Us' are solely entertainment and not frighteningly probable realities.

A Perilous Undertaking

The second book in the 'Veronica Speedwell' series was every bit as delightful as the first. Maybe even more so since the connection to the characters was strengthened. Ms Raybourn masterfully left some of Veronica & Stokers secrets unrevealed ~ as if we wouldn't continue reading if we knew everything about them. Ha!  Not a chance! Love every bit of their banter, their building sexual tension and the mystery they sought to solve.  FYI:  this kind of mystery is my cup of tea ~ not anything that would set my hair on end or render me sleepless but rather smartly written, innocuous & just plain enjoyable.  That they're set in the Victorian era is icing on the cake.   

I have the third book on hold or else I would have my nose buried in it at this very minute!  You can bet I'll be back to their next adventure as soon as it's available!

A Curious Beginning

With all the witty repartee in this book, I find myself at a loss to be equivalently eloquent at describing just how very delightful I found 'A Curious Beginning.'
I wish now that I hadn't put off reading it (or starting the series) for so long BUT maybe, just maybe, there's an underlying purpose to procrastination because it was a wonderful escapism for this pandemic year of 2020. If only I could have paced myself more slowly so as to draw out the enjoyment! Thank goodness it's a series although I have a feeling I'm going to blow thru them all in record speed!!!

The chemistry between the main characters of Miss Veronica Speedwell (an unparalleled woman) and the formidable Mr. Stoker was brilliant. They played off each other superbly throughout their quest to solve the mystery of Veronica's parentage & and the murder that takes place herein. Perfectly paced, very satisfying plot & resolution with an ending that incites a strong impetus for more. More adventures, more clever Miss Speedwell, more enigmatic Mr. Stoker ~ just plain MORE!!!

I'm so smitten, I've already downloaded the second in the series!!!
EXCELSIOR!!!!

 

 

Rich People Problems

A terrific wrap to the trilogy.

If 'Crazy Rich Asians' was the appetizer, 'China Rich Girlfriend' was the main course and 'Rich People Problems' was the dessert that capped off the most fabulous party ever.

Of course Kevin Kwan served us up more over-the-top, luxury lifestyle & demonstrated that nothing changed even when it came to deathbeds and funerals. What a kick all the machinations, back stabbing, one-upping, gossiping, etc., these families gave us thru all three books. Seemed like wealth to the "nth power" only intensified those traits!

I felt good about how all the characters and situations wrapped although I'd hoped Colette would redeem herself. I thought she was fun in book two & I really didn't want to believe she was so vindictive. Also happy Astrid finally made a move but wished she'd been stronger still. Nick & Rachel weren't so much central characters in this book, I'd say Kitty Pong/Bing snatched that spot away from them. Also Peik Lin was a personal favorite but a very minor character in book three. We did learn a lot more about Su Yi ~ if Kevin Kwan wanted to expand the series he could do a "prequel" about her. Interesting woman.

These are fun reads. If you happen to orbit at the 1% ultra wealth level, they could possibly be even more enjoyable because you'd have firsthand knowledge about all the labels, brands, places mentioned. For the rest of us, it's a glimpse into a fantasy world that simultaneously makes you covet the experience and yet, on another level have no envy about that world at all.